Summary: Mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Aitym Formation, Kyzylkum
Desert, Uzbekistan
Alexander O. Averianova
*, J. David Archibaldb
a
Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034, Saint Petersburg, Russia
b
Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, 92182-4614, USA
Accepted 4 March 2003
Abstract
The Upper Cretaceous (?Santonian) Aitym Formation in the central Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan, produced remains of a
cimolodontan multituberculate (Uzbekbaatar wardi), a spalacotheriid symmetrodont (cf. Shalbaatar sp.), a deltatheroidan (cf.
Deltatherus sp.), possibly the asioryctithere aff. Daulestes sp., possibly two zalambdalestids (Kulbeckia sp. cf. K. kulbecke and aff.
Kulbeckia sp.), two supposed lipotyphlans (Paranyctoides sp. cf. P. aralensis and Paranyctoides sp.), and zhelestid ungulatomorphs
(cf. Aspanlestes sp., Parazhelestes sp. aff. P. minor, Parazhelestes sp. cf. P. robustus, and Eoungulatum sp. cf. E. kudukensis). The
Aitym mammal fauna is most similar to the more diverse mammal fauna of the underlying Bissekty Formation (upper
Turonian­Coniacian). Uzbekbaatar and Shalbaatar were most probably derived from North American immigrants. Paranyctoides
and `Zhelestidae' are of Middle Asian (a commonly and long used Soviet geographic region approximately extending from the
Caspian Sea on the west to the Chinese border on the east, and from the Iranian and Afghan borders on the south to southern
Kazakhstan on the north) origin and migrated to North America during the late Santonian­early Campanian. A dispersal route was